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Graduate Student Activities

Graduate Student Workshop

What’s the story? A Graduate Student Workshop on Formulating a Research Presentation for a General Audience

Thursday, August 1, 1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Presenting our research to undergraduate students can be both fun and rewarding. It can also be difficult, however, since the gory details of our results often require a great deal of specific jargon and background. Nonetheless, the big ideas can almost always be presented at a variety of levels, and this workshop is designed to help participants develop the skills needed to formulate a presentation on their research that is appropriate for an audience of undergraduate students. Since many colleges and universities require giving such a talk as part of a job interview, almost any graduate student will have the opportunity to do so, and the ability to communicate complex mathematical ideas to students is a valued trait in a candidate. This workshop will consist of hands-on activities and audience interaction aimed toward developing and improving the necessary skills for creating an engaging and accessible presentation for undergraduates.

Organizer:

Rachel Schwell, Central Connecticut State University

Sponsors:

Committee on Graduate Students

Young Mathematicians Network

Graduate Student Reception

Thursday, August 1, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Graduate students are invited for some refreshments and to meet several of the invited speakers.

PosterFest 2013: A Poster Session of Scholarship by Early Career Mathematicians and Graduate Students

Friday, August 2, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This poster session will allow early career mathematicians, including untenured faculty and graduate students, to present and discuss their scholarly activities with other attendees in an informal atmosphere. Examples of scholarly activities suitable for this poster session include expository work, preliminary reports, scholarship of teaching and learning, and research reports. Presenters should have their materials prepared in advance and will be provided with a self-standing, trifold tabletop poster approximately 48 in wide by 36 in high. Proposals should be submitted at http://www/maa.org/mathfest/abstracts. Questions regarding this session should be sent to the organizers.

Great Talks for a General Audience: Coached Presentations by Graduate Students

Saturday, August 3, 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Presenters in this session must be graduate students. While many graduate students will be asked to give a lecture to a general audience which includes undergraduates and non-mathematicians as part of a job interview, most students do not have experience talking to a non-research audience. This session gives graduate students the opportunity to give a 20-minute talk aimed at an undergraduate audience which has been exposed to calculus and some linear algebra. Both the talks and abstracts should be designed to excite a wide range of undergraduates about mathematics. All participants in this session will receive private feedback on their presentations from an established faculty member and an undergraduate student. Time permitting, a discussion of effective techniques for delivering great general-audience talks will occur at the end of the session.

Contact Jim Freeman or Rachel Schwell for help on writing an abstract and preparing a talk for a general audience. Graduate student participants in this session should also attend the graduate student workshop (What's the Story?) on mathematical presentations. Information on travel support will be available at www.maa.org/students/grad.html on March 1, 2012. Abstracts must be submitted by April 30, 2012.

Organizers:

Jim Freeman, Cornell College

Rachel Schwell, Central Connecticut State University

Sponsors:

Committee on Graduate Students

Panel Discussons

How to Apply for Jobs

Thursday, August 1, 2:35 p.m. – 3:55 pm

This session is aimed at graduate students and recent Ph.D.s. An overview of the employment process will be given with ample opportunity for participants to ask questions. Questions that will be addressed include: How do you find which jobs are available? How do you choose which jobs you want to apply for? What are academic and other employers looking for in the materials that you send? How should you tailor your application material for the job that you are applying to? How do schools conduct interviews?

Organizers:

Estela A. Gavosto, University of Kansas

Kristine Roinestad, Georgetown College

Panelists:

James Freeman, Cornell College

Joanne Peeples, El Paso Community College

Kristine Roinestad, Georgetown College

A mathematician from industry

Sponsors:

Committee on Graduate Students

Professional Development Committee

Young Mathematicians Network

Speed Interviewing Marathon for Students

Friday, August 2, 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Employers suggest that communication skills are a critical component when considering a mathematics major for a job. An important time to demonstrate good communication skills is during the job interview. This session will start with an overview of best practices and tips on job interviewing, then guide students as they participate in several speed interviewing sessions of 10 minutes each, where they can practice what they have learned and hone their interviewing skills. Speed interviewing sessions will include individual feedback for students, as well as opportunities to network with fellow students.